Platen return



Jan. 2 1926. 1,569,284

vm KASTLER PLA'IEN RETURN Filed August 51, 1923' v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll l r zmmwm LL5 Q l mm WITNESSES 7 all INVENTOR W a; R Wmwfl A TTORNE YS Jan. 12 ,1926. 1,569,284

I w. KASTLER PLATEN RETURN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed August 31, 1923 all.

IN VEN TOR WITNESSES roldfofi WM BY 26 M ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,559,284 PATENT OFFICE.

WELIAM KASTLER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PLA'IEN RETURN.

Application filed August 31, 1923. Serial No. 660,370.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KAs'rLEn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platen Returns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to printing machines of the type embodying a rotary printing drum and a roller platen, such as the Multigraph, and more particularly relates to an improved platen return or relift for use on such machines.

In printing machines of this character there is provided in conjunction with the r0- tary printing drum and the roller platen a platen-release whereby the platen is automatically moved to idle or non-printing position when the feed of the paper to the machine fails. This automatic release of the platen is timedto occur prior tothat phase of the operation in which the printing members of the drum come in position to contact with the platen so that by virtue of the provision of the platen release the possibility of the platen becoming inked or receiving an impression from the printing members on the printing drum is precluded. With all of the devices heretofore known in this art it is necessary after the platen release has operated to move the platen to idle position, to stop the machine and readjust the parts before the. printing operation can be resumed. The readjustment of the parts involves a turning or manipulation of the printing drum so as to bring the printing members thereof out of contact with the platen after which the platen is returned to printing position by a manual adjustment of the automatic platen release and the machine is started.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the stops incident to the operation of the release involve considerable delay and decrease to a serious and considerable extent the output of the machine.

The object of the present invention is to provide a printing machine in which these difficulties and disadvantages are overcome as after the platen-release has operated, and following that phase of the operation in which the printing members on the drum have passed the position in which they are adapted tocontact with the platen butbefore these printing members again come in,

position for impression, the platen is auto matically returned to printing position and the platen release is automatically reset and all in time to enable the platen release to agaln operate should the feed again fail.

Another object is to provide a device of this character and having these advantages and capacities and which is at the same time of simple and durable construction, reliable and effective in operation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture and apply, and which does not impair or detract from the capabilities of the original machine with which it is organized.

Other object-sand advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of the construction, combination and arrangement'of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showing a printing machine having the present invention organized therewith, the parts being shown with the platen in a non-printing position and adapted to be shortly thereafter returned to printing position by the action of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a viewv similar to Figure 1, and showing the parts in the position which they assume, after the platen has been reset or returned to printing position; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in edge elevation and partly in section, showing how the pin of the handle coacts wlth the arm provided on the platen release.

Referrmg to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates generally a printing machine with which the platen-return constituting the present invention is organized. This printing machine may be of any conventional or well known type but preferably is of the type known as the Multigraph which is widely used in practice.

As usual, the machine includes a rotary printing drum 11 having a handle 12 secured to the axis thereof and rotating therewith.

A platen. 13 is associated with the printing drum andis eccentrically mounted in a conventional manner so as to be adapted to be moved into printing position or into idle or non-printing position. An automatic platenrelease designated generally at 15, is provided for the platen and includes a rotatable plate 16 fixed to the shaft or axis of the platen and adjustably connected by a clamp screw 17 to a collar 18 having peripheral notches 18 co-operable with a latch 19 and a lock lever 20. The lock lever 20 1s under the control of a cam 21 provided on the printing drum and co-operating with a roller 22 connected with the lock lever. The latch 19 holds the collar 18 and consequently the platen against turning movement in the direction whereby the platen is moved to an idle or nonprinting position it bemg understood that the spring is employed for the purpose of turning the platen to an dle or nonprinting position. This latch 19 is connected to a shaft or axis 19 with which it turns and a weight 23 which is also connected to this shaft or axis tends to move the latch out of engagement with the notch of the collar 18 with which it ooacts, but this latch is normally held engaged with its notch by the circumferential pressure of the wall of the notch and by the action of the overhanging portion of the lock lever 20. A linger 24 is carried by the shaft 19 and is arranged so as to be engageable with the paper being fed to the machine. 1V hen the machine is in use and the paper is being fed thereto, the cam 21 engages the roller once during each revolution of the drum to pull the lever 20 and consequently the collar 18 to the right as viewed in Figures 1 and 2 so as to release the latch 19 and start the same moving upwardly and away from the collar 18. If paper is being fed into the machine the upward movement of the latch under such circumstances is very limited as the finger 24 engages the sheet of paper being fed into the machine to pre vent the weight 23 from throwing the latch 19 upward to a substantial extent. Should, however, the feed of paper fail the weight 23 is no longer restrained by the finger 24 and the latch 19 is thrown upwardly thereby and kicks the lever 20 away from the collar to permit the spring to throw the platen to nonprinting position. This mechanism is widely known and used and needs no detail explanation, but it is thought best to advert to the same generally as the platen-return constituting the present invention is organized and co-ordinaced in its action with such mechanism. For detailed and further explanation of the printing machine proper and for the details of the mounting'of the platen and of the operation of the platenrelease reference is made to the patent of G. T. Trundle, J12, No. 1,148,940, of August 3, 1915.

The platen return which constitutes the present invention comprises an arm designated generally at 30, and having an attachingportion 31 provided with an opening 32 which is fitted around the screw employed to secure the plate 16 to the axis or shaft on which the platen is mounted. The clamping screw 17 employed for adjustably securing the plate 16 to the collar 18 is also utilized for clamping the attaching portion 31 of the arm to the plate 16 and collar 18, the single screw 17 serving as a common means for holding these parts together. The plate 16 of the platen release is usually equipped with four knobs, of which two are removed to permit of the association of the attaching portion of the arm 30 with the plate 16. The two knobs left on the plate are designated at 16. It may be desirable to employ on the attaching plate 31 a number of lines or graduations 33 in order to enable the operator to gage the adjustment of the plate 16 relative to the collar 18, since the attaching portion of the arm conceals the arcuate slot in the plate 16 which, when exposed, affords a convenient means for gaging the adjustment. The arm 30 also includes a camming portion 34 which may be integral with the attaching portion 31 but which is preferably constituted by a separate piece hingedly connected, as at 35, to the attaching portion 31 and influenced by a light spring 36 to the position shown in the drawings. The hinge joint 35 is of the type em ployed on rules, enabling the camming portion to swing against the action of the spring 36 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings, but prevent a clockwise movement of the portion 34. By so constructing the arm 30 the parts of the machine will not be liable to injury should the printing drum 11 and its handle 12 reversely rotate with the arm 30 positioned as in Figure 1. With the arm 30 so mounted it partakes of the motion of the plate 16 and of the platen so that when the platen is in printing position the arm is disposed in the position shown in Figure 2. whereas when the platen is in idle or nonprinting position the arm 30 is in the position shown in Figure 1.

A pin 40 having a roller 41 mounted thereon is adjustably mounted on the handle 12 by means of clamping or securing means which preferably comprise a clamp member 42 having a clamping plate 43 held thereon and clamped against the handle 12 by screws 44. This pin 40 projects inwardly so that it is co-operable with the arm 30. In the position of the arm 30 shown in Figure 2 the pin 40 does not operatively engage the camming portion 34 in any phase of its revolution, but only wipes past the same. In this connection it is to be understood that although the arm 30 is substantially rigid it may be made of metal of sufiicient resiliency to permit of the pin 40 readily passing the arm without affecting the position of the parts when the arm is positioned as shown in Figure 2. When, however, the platen has been released, the arm 30 is in the position shown in Figure 1 and in such position it lies in the path of travel of the pin so that the pin 40 will engage this arm 30 and swing the same from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. This movement of the arm 30 is transmitted to the plate 16 since the arm is secured to the plate. Movement of the plate 16 under the influence of the arm results in the turning of the platen to printing position. It is to be noted that the printing members on the drum occupy only a portion of the angular extent thereof. The handle 12 is so located in the space between the edges of the printing members that it engages the arm to reposition the platen immediately after the printing members have passed the position in which they are disposed to engage or contact with the platen and prior to the'time that they again come into position to contact therewith. Not only does the platen return serve to reposition the platen but it also resets the automatic release for the platen so that the same will be efi'ective to again operate should the feed fail on the neat revolution.

It is to be understood that in lieu of the mounting of the pin 40, which constitutes the operator or actuator for the arm 30, on the handle 12, it may be mounted on any other part that moves in synchronism with the printing drum and is capable of oper- :itive association with the platen release.

I claim:

1. In combination, a printing drum, a platen, means supporting the platen to permit the same to take a printing or non-prlnting position, a platen release, and means for returning the platen to printing position and for resetting the platen release comprising an arm connected to the platen release and to the platen, and a pin moving in synchronism with the printing drum and cooperable with the arm.

2. In combination, a printing drum having a handle rotatable therewith, a platen, means supporting the platen to permit the same to take a printing or non-printing position, a paper controlled and spring actuated platen release for throwing the platen to non-printing position when the feed of paper fails, and'means for returning the platen to printing position and resetting the platen release comprising an arm connected to the platen and to the platen release, and a pin carried by the handle of the printing drum and co-operable with said in.

3. In combination, a printing rum having a handle rotatable therewith, a platen, means supporting the platen to permit the same to take a printing or non-printing position, a paper controlled and spring actuated fails, means for returning the platen to,

printing position and resetting the platen release comprising an arm connected to the platen and to the platen release, and a pin carried by the handle of the printing drum and co-operable with said pin, said arm including an attaching portion and a cam ming portion hingedly connected to the camming portion so as to be substantially rigid in one direction but yieldable in an opposite direction.

4:. In combination, a printing drum having a handle rotatable therewith, a platen, means supporting the platen to permit the same to take a printing or non-printing position, a paper controlled and spring actuated platen release for throwing the platen to non-printing position when the feed of paper fails, means for returning the platen to printing position and resetting the platen release comprising an arm connected to the platen and to the platen release, a pin carried by the handle of the printing drum and co-operable with said pin, said arm including an attaching portion and a camming portion hingedly connected to the camming portion so as to be substantially rigid in one direction but yieldable in an opposite direction, and a spring for holding the camming portion in extended position.

5. The combination with a printing drum having printing members thereon, a platen, an automatic release for moving the platen to idle position when the feed of paper to the machine fails and prior to the time the printing members come into position to contact with said platen, said automatic release including a plate connected with the platen and movable therewith, an operating arm secured to said plate and movable therewith, and an actuating pin constrained to move in synchronism with the printing drum and arranged and adapted to engage the arm as the same is positioned after the platen has been released to move the arm so as to return the platen to printing position and reset the platen release after the printing memhere have passed the position in which they are adapted to contact with the platen and in time to enable the release to again operate should the feed again fail.

WILLIAM KASTLER. 

